Justice Inyang Ekwo of Court 5 of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wwnesday urged the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Police Commission (PSC) to maintain the status quo in the recruitment of 10,000 constables by the NPF.
The judge also held that the court had the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The PSC had filed the suit against the NPF, the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Police Affairs as the first, second and third respondents, saying the Force lacked the power to recruit without the approval of the commission.
The commission filed an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants, their officers and representatives, including anybody or person acting on their behalf, from appointing, recruiting or attempting to appoint or recruit by any means whatsoever any person into any office in the first defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The NPF, in its verified Twitter handle @PoliceNG, last week, announced that members of the general public, particularly candidates who participated in the recruitment, be advised that the final list of successful candidates would be released only after the receipt of the Recruitment Report and final vetting of the list by the IGP.
The court yesterday urged that all parties should stay within the bounds of the law until the matter is decided.
In a motion, counsel to the three defendants, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), sought to join the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the fourth defendant in the matter.
Lawyer to the PSC, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN), agreed, and Justice Ekwo adopted the motion.
The judge gave the plaintiff four days from the date of the order to amend, file and service the processes.
He gave the first to third defendants another four days upon service by the plaintiff to amend, file and serve their processes.
Justice Ekwo adjourned till November 4, 2019, for the resumption of the matter.
He told the lawyers that they represent the cream of the inner bar and since they had decided to submit the issues between them to the court, all parties must respect the rule of law and stay within bounds until the matter is decided.
“I need your assurance on that,” Justice Ekwo said.
But Izinyon argued that the issue that brought the motion was the recruitment, which he said had passed, as recruitment of the 10,000 constables had been concluded by the police.
“I am giving you between now and November 4 to return to court. Are you telling me that between now and November 4, you still need to go on with what you are doing?” Justice Ekwo queried.
Izinyon responded: “We have finished what we are doing, with the greatest respect. And with the greatest respect, the PSC is aware.”
The argument became heated and Justice Ekwo had to interject.
“The case is not between you and me,” he said.
The judge gave the parties until November 4 to come back for the court to take a decision on which step to take next.
“You have submitted to the jurisdiction of the court. You stay within the jurisdiction of the court,” the judge said.
“We have completed what they came here to ask,” Iziyon responded.
“That is going to be determined at the end of the day. Parties should not go beyond where they are,” Justice Ekwo replied.
Agabi also said: “I have nothing more to add. Your Lordship has said it. What you said is obvious. We are before the court. Now, my learned brother is saying they have already completed it. What an embarrassment it would be to the nation and to the police if this court should decide that whatever they were doing were illegalities? What an embarrassment!”
“That would be for the future. For today, the matter is adjourned till November 4, 2019,” the judge said.
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